Lightened-Up Lemon And Spinach Stuffed Shells
I made this spinach-stuffed pasta situation earlier this week based off a recipe in one of Matty Matheson's cookbooks and and—delicious and easy. But also: rich. You only need a few shells per person, which makes it the perfect dinner to pair with a big crisp salad. As usual I completely omitted the egg and it turned out just fine as well as doubling the spinach, and zipping up the ricotta with lemon zest and nutmeg. Still cheesy and comforting, just... less coma-inducing. Here’s the updated recipe for my version of this indulgent-but-sensible, easy weeknight dinner.
Lightened-Up Lemon & Spinach Stuffed Shells
Ingredients:
18 ish jumbo pasta shells
1.5 tbsp olive oil
3 tsp minced garlic (the real deal)
8 cups fresh spinach, chopped (that’s rougly two generous handfuls, pre-wilt)
12 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped (or use dried in a pinch)
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2¼ cups marinara sauce or more.
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cook the pasta shells slightly less than al dente because they'll cook more in the sauce. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute, just until fragrant and slightly golden. Add the chopped spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s wilted and dramatically shrunk in size (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, lemon zest, nutmeg, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir in the sautéed spinach until well blended. Taste it. It should already be delicious.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of marinara into the bottom of a baking dish. Preferably Vintage.
Stuff each shell generously with the ricotta-spinach filling and nestle them into the dish. Top with the remaining marinara generouly, then cover tightly with foil. Matty suggests more cheese on top but I don't think that's necessary.
Bake covered for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until things are bubbling.
Serve warm, A green salad on the side is a must. Trust me. You're going to want to pair this dish with something light.
So that’s my slightly lighter, lemon-zested, spinach-packed spin on classic stuffed shells—rich enough to feel indulgent, but balanced enough that you won’t need a nap (just a big salad on the side). I made it this week and, let me tell you, even a small scoop goes a long way. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out—
Carla